Authors Notes: Sorry for the laaate update, since I started college and stuff I've been busy but I promise to update soon, maybe in a week, or less. Please don't be mad lol.

For anyone who wonders why I don't add an accent to Hagrids part well a simple answer is I don't know how. So do me a favor when you read Hagrids dialogue, use your imagination.

Chapter 22: Confessions

Hermione ended up confining in the last person she thought could help, Neville. He was the only other person in Gryfindor who really knew what was going on in Harry's life. And after all he was the other part of the prophecy not to mention he was the one who found Ron. She found him sitting on the couch in the Gryfindor common room. As usual he was trying to do his potions work for Professor Snape so that he won't be humiliated in class. It made her pity him when it came to that class.

"Hello Neville." She said pleasantly. He looked up at her and half smiled with suspicious eyes. Who could blame him, she didn't usually strike up a conversation with him.

"Hi Hermione."

"I know you and I really don't do much together but I was thinking maybe you can help me out with Ron's problem." She said as she sat down next to him.

"What about Harry?"

"Harry's not himself right now." Hermione said as convincing as possible without gritting her teeth. Neville nodded and began to pack his books away.

"So what do you need me to do?"

"Research."

"I'm not really good at that kind of stuff."

"Not book research, I mean I want you to find out what really happened in the locker room at practice." Hermione said. She knew she couldn't enter the boy's locker room so the only chance she had to get evidence was to get Neville to do it. "Ask Dean and Seamus to lend you a hand. Please this is important." Hermione pleaded. Neville looked around the room before deciding whether to help Hermione or not.

"Okay, I'll do it." Neville said with a smile. Hermione clapped her hands together and hugged him.

"Thank you." She said nicely. "Ron will appreciate this." Neville wrapped his arms around her waist in return.

"He's my friend too." Neville said letting her go at the same time blushing.

"Well, well, well. The whore strikes again." A voice hissed behind them. She knew exactly who that was and Hermione slowly turned around to face Lavender.

"Wasn't beating you once a reminder for you to mind your own business?"

"Just because I state the obvious doesn't mean you have to get all rowdy." Hermione glared at her, who uses the word rowdy any way? "First it was Malfoy, then Zabini, then Ron now...now Neville? At least your tastes were good until he came along." Lavender said pointing to Neville who looked dumb struck. His face was flushed and he seemed to be embarrassed. Hermione became angry, how could Lavender be that rude? What was it she had angst her? Hermione snapped out of her seat only inches away from Lavender.

"It's one thing to call me a whore but never, NEVER call my friends ugly or anything along that line. I don't mind making you look like shit all over again." Hermione said furiously clutching her hands into tight fists. Lavender sort of lost color but kept her composer.

"I'll be off, I can't wait who our favorite book worm fucks around with next." Lavender said happily and walked off towards the girls dorm. For a split second she wanted to rush her and punch her in the face, pull her hair and make her cry but then she knew she had to be the sensible one in all of this. Lavender had a grudge on her but for what reason Hermione didn't know. Maybe she liked Draco or Blaise. She turned to face a very pale Neville.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's her problem anyway."

"T-thanks Hermione." Neville stuttered as he rose from his seat.

"No, she had no right to diss you like that."

"Can I ask you something?" Neville asked nervously.

"What?"

"Is it true, what she said about you? Not the whore thing but you being with Malfoy and Zabini?" Now it was Hermione's turn to become pale. Even Neville believed this? What did everyone in Gryfindor think of her? Had Lavender ruined her reputation completely?

"No, those are nasty lies created by nasty people who have nothing better to do."

"Oh." Neville said unconvinced. Hermione tried her best not to show her anger so she quickly stomped off back to her Prefect House. She began to create ideas of how to make Lavender's life feel like hell. That's when the Professor McGonagal came on the intercom.

"All students please return to your dorms. All professors meet the Head Master in his office." Hermione wondered what Dumbledore thought of Ron's situation and weather they figured out what was wrong. She checked the time and realized it was only eight in the night. All the same she had no choice but to go to her dorm. Once she entered the common room, she found Pansy sniffing in the corner near the fire place. Hermione rolled her eyes and walked up the stair case as Pansy called her name.

"What?" Hermione asked annoyed. Pansy stood at the foot of the Gryfindor staircase. That's when Hermione realized she had red eyes from all that crying.

"Can we talk?" She asked quietly.

"About what?" Hermione asked. Pansy said nothing and Hermione continued. "As you can see you and I never really talk unless you consider threatening each other talking. So I'm interested to know what you want to talk about."

"It's your friend, Ron." Pansy said playing with her stringy blonde hair. Hermione arched her eye brow, did she hear Pansy correctly?

"Ron? Did you just say Ron? Instead of Weasel or Weasley?" Hermione asked. Pansy stopped fiddling with her hair and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Ron. A seventh year redheaded boy who's a Gryfindor."

"What about him?"

"Can we sit down and talk?" Pansy asked moving over towards the nearest couch. Hermione was a bit curious to what Pansy wanted and answered her by following. They sat down on the same couch for the first time, and it was awkward on Hermione's part.

"So?" Hermione said dreading the silence.

"I'm really sorry about his condition."

"Now the whole world knows." Hermione stated dryly.

"I went and visited him earlier although his sister was bitching at me to leave."

"Whatever. Get to the point."

"I know he really likes me and all but I don't want anything to do with him." Pansy said eyes piercing on Hermione. Something didn't add up, Pansy called him by his first name and was nice to him before he got attacked and he seemed like he knew what he was getting himself into.

"Liar." Hermione said bluntly.

"What?" Pansy said raising her hand to her chest.

"Liar." She repeated. "You like him."

"I'm not going to discuss my interest in men. I just want him to keep his hands off me."

"But you sure enjoyed talking to him this afternoon."

"That's none of your business Granger!" Pansy yelled standing up. Hermione also stood up irritated by her behavior.

"Listen here, Parkinson! Don't ask to have a conversation with me if you're going to yell."

"Stop assuming things." Pansy retorted with a stomp.

"Fine! I'll tell my BEST friend that you hate his guts and if he ever came near you, you'll send Slytherin boys on him!"

"Thats not true!" Pansy cried out. "Why are you being like this?!"

"Why can't you accept that you like him? A lot?" Hermione replied back placing her hands on her waist. "He's a Gryfindor, right? That's why you don't want to associate with him. Or is it because he's a muggle lover?"

"No! It has nothing to do with that!"

"Ha! So you admit it, you like him." Hermione pointed out. Pansy was fuming with frustration and began to let tears fall down her eyes. Hermione froze and watched her, Pansy turned her back and held her hands to her face.

"You just can't leave it alone, can you? All I want you to do is tell him I don't like him." Pansy sobbed. Hermione placed her hands in her pockets and watched Pansy's shoulders fall up and down. Maybe she was being to hard on Pansy, not that she didn't deserve it. But Hermione couldn't help her temper, the day has been crazy for her.

"He's going to ask me why." Hermione said calmly. She was shocked at her own kindness towards Pansy, who turned around and wiped her damp eyes.

"My father. He...he.." She began. Hermione stared at her, what about her father? What did he have anything to do with this?

"Your father?"

"Yes, it's a long story. He doesn't want me with anyone else but Draco. I love Draco at one time but me and him...we...became distant." Pansy said sadly.

"Sorry." Hermione said remembering what Blaise had told her about Pansy and Draco's past relationship.

"Sorry?! Don't pity me Granger!"

"Fine, I'll be an inconsiderate cold bitch."

"Shut up." Pansy said slowly sitting back down on the couch. Her knees held tightly together and her hands lay on her lap. Hermione then remembered that day when Draco and Pansy got attacked in their rooms. Who had attacked her? Draco claimed his father showed up that night. Did he hurt Pansy as well? She just needed to know.

"I can't believe I'm actually talking to you civilly but I might as well ask now." Hermione said also slouching on the couch.

"Ask what?" Pansy said looking over at her.

"Did Lucius attack you that night we found you unconscious?" Hermione blurted. Pansy quickly looked back down at her shaky hands.

"I don't want to talk about that. It's none of your business."

"Please? I swear what we talk about today never leaves this room." Hermione said holding her hand to her heart as a testament. Pansy darted her eyes at her then back at her hands once more.

"No." Pansy replied.

"No what?" Hermione felt disappointed. She really did want to know.

"No, it wasn't Draco's father."

"There was someone else?" Hermione said with wide eyes.

"My father." Pansy said swelling up new tears. "He's just as powerful as Lucius. He's a wicked man. I hate him." Pansy said wiping her fresh new tears away. Hermione awkwardly patted her shoulder.

"What did he do? Did he use an unforgivable curse on you?"

"Much worse." Pansy whispered. "That night, they came to visit Draco to discuss plans of his initiation and I didn't know. I was talking to Ron here in the common room. When I went upstairs to my room I heard loud voices and I found Draco yelling at his father. Then...then my father grabbed me took me to my room and..."

"And what?" Hermione asked. She could see it was painful for Pansy to remember that night. Pansy's eyes were fixed on the fire place.

"Forget it. You'll just laugh and tell all your little Gryfindor friends." Pansy said standing up. Hermione stood up following her towards her staircase.

"Please, I promise I won't tell."

"You're so nosy that you must know EVERYTHING, huh?"

"I'm not a gossip girl. I keep things to myself. And besides, if you want me to tell Ron that you don't like him all of the sudden I need to know why."

"I was raped by my father because of Ron. He found out that I was becoming friends with Potters best friend. Are you happy now? Does it satisfy your little book worm brain?" Pansy said angrily tears streaming down her cheek uncontrollably and ran up to her room. Hermione stood there shocked and most importantly sorry for Pansy. It must have been difficult for her to go through such a thing.

Hermione couldn't think of anything to say and just headed back to her room. Pansy was raped because of Ron. But she couldn't tell him the reason why Pansy suddenly hates him. She slipped into her pajamas and sunk in her bed. Today had been the most craziest day for her, she found out Harry had a physiological problem or worse, Ron was petrified and Pansy was raped. What was worse, Hermione was beginning to suspect Pansy's father to be the one who petrified Ron. It could be possible couldn't it? It made perfect sense, did it not?

"You make new enemies." Hermione thought to herself as she fell asleep.